Overview
Kevin Chung, known online as BulletMercenary, is a National Master and a celebrated chess streamer. He earned the National Master title from National, a badge that marks years of hard work, sharp calculation, and a love of fast-paced battles. His preferred battleground is Bullet, where he blends rapid-fire tactics with humor and clear explanations for viewers who love both brains and banter. His peak Bullet rating crested above 2810 in the mid-2010s, and he’s kept a broad presence across Blitz, Rapid, and rapid-fire online events.
Career Highlights
- National Master title earned through consistent results and dedication to improvement.
- Long-running presence in the Bullet scene, with a career spanning well over a decade of competitive play.
- Notable resilience and stamina shown in long Bullets and fast time controls, earning a reputation as a dependable, creative challenger.
- Streaks and confidence built through sustained success, including a lengthy winning streak that underscored his tenacity in short time formats.
Openings and Style
BulletMercenary favors aggressive, dynamic lines that keep opponents on their toes. His repertoire includes the Amar Gambit and sharp, active setups in Modern and Bird Opening variations, as well as robust responses in the French and Caro-Kann when the moment calls for solidity. In Blitz and Rapid, his willingness to take calculated risks often pays off, while in Bullet he combines precision with quick, practical ideas that help teach complex concepts in a minute or less.
Streaming and Community
Beyond the board, Kevin thrives as a streamer, sharing accessible explanations, post‑game analysis, and a lighthearted vibe that makes chess entertaining for beginners and seasoned players alike. He interacts with viewers, breaks down key ideas, and encourages others to try bold ideas in their own games. You can find his ongoing journey under the BulletMercenary banner, a handle that mirrors his fast, fearless approach to the game. Kevin Chung
Signature Moments
From early triumphs to modern creativity, Kevin’s career shows a consistent push toward higher-level thinking under time pressure. His openings performance and long-form data reflect a player who adapts, experiments, and keeps the fun in fundamentals. For a quick taste of his style, consider a sample line or two from his Bullet repertoire, where imagination meets calculation in real time.
Kevin Chung - Game Performance Review
Great job on your recent games, Kevin! You've shown a strong understanding of opening principles and middle game tactics, which is impressive. Here are some tailored points to help you continue your progress:
Strengths
- Opening Preparation: You consistently choose solid and thematic openings like the Danish Gambit, Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack, and various Queen Pawn systems. Your awareness of key ideas puts you in good positions early on.
- Tactical Awareness: Your games demonstrate sharp tactical vision, winning material and launching effective attacks, especially in the middlegame. For example, in your most recent win, you successfully leveraged piece activity with moves like Qe6+ and timely exchanges.
- Time Management: You maintain a good pace, allowing yourself sufficient time to calculate critical positions. This is crucial in live games under clock pressure.
Areas to Improve
- Endgame Technique: In some losses, particularly those going into technical endings, there are opportunities to improve precision. Working on fundamental endgame knowledge (king and pawn, rook endgames) will pay dividends in converting advantages or defending tough positions.
- Handling Pressure in Complex Positions: There were moments where the tension in the position increased (such as in close tactical skirmishes) where alternative moves might have alleviated pressure or improved your position. Taking a moment to consider opponent threats carefully can reduce these risks.
- Opening Variations and Flexibility: While your opening repertoire is solid, occasionally opponents caught you off-guard with less common sidelines. Expanding your familiarity in those areas might increase your confidence against surprise lines.
Recommendations
- Review and practice key endgame studies focusing on rook and pawn endgames to strengthen conversion skills.
- Analyze your losses in detail, focusing on critical junctures where you faced aggressive opponent play to identify alternative defensive resources.
- Supplement your existing openings with preparation of sidelines and anti-gambit ideas to better handle unusual opponent setups.
- Use and to track your progress and identify when your performance peaks, adjusting your training accordingly.
Encouragement
Overall, you are on a solid trajectory. Keep up your dedication, keep analyzing your games thoroughly, and continue challenging yourself against stronger opposition. Improvement will come steadily with effort and reflection!
Keep up the great work, Kevin!
🆚 Opponent Insights
| Most Played Opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
| iliachess2007 | 304W / 253L / 61D | View Games |
| JustResignPlz | 180W / 66L / 18D | View Games |
| Aman Hambleton | 56W / 161L / 7D | View Games |
| David Zhurbinsky | 111W / 87L / 14D | View Games |
| 25elevin | 108W / 14L / 3D | View Games |
Rating
| Year | Bullet | Blitz | Rapid | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2547 | 2267 | ||
| 2024 | 2526 | 2296 | ||
| 2023 | 2528 | 2344 | ||
| 2022 | 2511 | 2266 | 2017 | |
| 2021 | 2466 | 2264 | 2264 | |
| 2020 | 2548 | 2348 | 2166 | |
| 2015 | 2814 | |||
| 2014 | 2792 | |||
| 2011 | 2784 | 2129 | ||
| 2010 | 2663 |
Stats by Year
| Year | White | Black | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8W / 6L / 0D | 7W / 4L / 1D | 78.3 |
| 2024 | 12W / 10L / 1D | 12W / 7L / 3D | 72.0 |
| 2023 | 48W / 23L / 2D | 49W / 18L / 4D | 75.1 |
| 2022 | 782W / 233L / 77D | 726W / 279L / 65D | 74.7 |
| 2021 | 1533W / 750L / 203D | 1460W / 810L / 162D | 76.7 |
| 2020 | 1540W / 802L / 183D | 1516W / 873L / 176D | 81.3 |
| 2015 | 5W / 0L / 0D | 5W / 0L / 0D | 89.3 |
| 2014 | 1W / 0L / 0D | 1W / 0L / 0D | 61.5 |
| 2011 | 36W / 27L / 3D | 36W / 32L / 0D | 83.4 |
| 2010 | 10W / 2L / 1D | 8W / 5L / 0D | 73.5 |
Openings: Most Played
| Bullet Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amar Gambit | 556 | 330 | 191 | 35 | 59.4% |
| Modern | 434 | 283 | 133 | 18 | 65.2% |
| Australian Defense | 389 | 258 | 108 | 23 | 66.3% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 377 | 236 | 114 | 27 | 62.6% |
| French Defense | 369 | 227 | 127 | 15 | 61.5% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 365 | 224 | 110 | 31 | 61.4% |
| Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit | 363 | 230 | 105 | 28 | 63.4% |
| French Defense: Exchange Variation | 324 | 205 | 102 | 17 | 63.3% |
| French Defense: Advance Variation | 275 | 161 | 95 | 19 | 58.5% |
| Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation | 252 | 137 | 97 | 18 | 54.4% |
| Blitz Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit | 177 | 107 | 55 | 15 | 60.5% |
| Unknown | 159 | 110 | 48 | 1 | 69.2% |
| Modern | 128 | 80 | 40 | 8 | 62.5% |
| Amar Gambit | 125 | 82 | 37 | 6 | 65.6% |
| French Defense: Advance Variation | 119 | 70 | 32 | 17 | 58.8% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 97 | 64 | 26 | 7 | 66.0% |
| French Defense: Exchange Variation | 91 | 54 | 30 | 7 | 59.3% |
| French Defense | 85 | 56 | 21 | 8 | 65.9% |
| Czech Defense | 77 | 44 | 26 | 7 | 57.1% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 74 | 51 | 18 | 5 | 68.9% |
| Rapid Opening | Games | Wins | Losses | Draws | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Defense: Advance Variation | 82 | 62 | 13 | 7 | 75.6% |
| Center Game | 71 | 67 | 3 | 1 | 94.4% |
| French Defense | 63 | 58 | 1 | 4 | 92.1% |
| Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit | 50 | 37 | 7 | 6 | 74.0% |
| Scandinavian Defense | 41 | 36 | 3 | 2 | 87.8% |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 33 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 81.8% |
| Scotch Game | 31 | 23 | 3 | 5 | 74.2% |
| Barnes Defense | 30 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 96.7% |
| French Defense: Exchange Variation | 26 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 84.6% |
| Nimzo-Larsen Attack | 21 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 66.7% |
🔥 Streaks
| Streak | Longest | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Winning | 43 | 0 |
| Losing | 17 | 1 |